Toward robust lithium–sulfur batteries via advancing Li2S deposition

Xun Jiao; Xiaoxia Tang; Jinrui Li; Yujiao Xiang; Cunpu Li; Cheng Tong; Minhua Shao; Zidong Wei

doi:10.1039/D4SC02420F

Toward robust lithium–sulfur batteries via advancing Li₂S deposition†

Xun Jiao,^a Xiaoxia Tang,^a Jinrui Li,^a Yujiao Xiang,^a Cunpu Li,

*^a Cheng Tong,*^a Minhua Shao

^b and Zidong Wei

*^a

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a State Key Laboratory of Advanced Chemical Power Sources, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China
E-mail: lcp@cqu.edu.cn, tongcheng@cqu.edu.cn, zdwei@cqu.edu.cn

^b Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Abstract

Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) with two typical platforms during discharge are prone to the formation of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPS), leading to a decrease in the cycling life of the battery. Under practical working conditions, the transformation of S₈ into Li₂S is cross-executed rather than a stepwise reaction, where the liquid LiPS to solid Li₂S conversion can occur at a high state of charge (SOC) to maintain the current requirement. Therefore, advancing Li₂S deposition can effectively reduce the accumulation of LiPSs and ultimately improve the reaction kinetics. Herein, a “butterfly material” GeS₂-MoS₂/rGO is used as a sulfur host. Rich catalytic heterointerfaces can be obtained via the abundant S–S bonds formed between GeS₂ and MoS₂. MoS₂ (left wing) can enhance LiPS adsorption, while the lattice-matching nature of Fdd2 GeS₂ (right wing) and Fm [3 with combining macron] m Li₂S can induce multiple nucleation and regulate the 3D growth of Li₂S. Li₂S deposition can be advanced to occur at 80% SOC, thereby effectively inhibiting the accumulation of soluble LiPSs. Attributed to the synergistic effect of catalytic and lattice-matching properties, robust coin and pouch LSBs can be achieved.

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SC02420F
Article type: Edge Article
Submitted: 12 Apr 2024
Accepted: 01 May 2024
First published: 01 May 2024
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry

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Chem. Sci., 2024,15, 7949-7964

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Toward robust lithium–sulfur batteries via advancing Li₂S deposition

X. Jiao, X. Tang, J. Li, Y. Xiang, C. Li, C. Tong, M. Shao and Z. Wei, Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 7949 DOI: 10.1039/D4SC02420F

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